Yakusoku, promise
by Yamiyugikun
Summary: Ch9 up. Cless has visions about the future of Totus's destruction, leaving Chester behind. Will their love survive that tragedy? ClessChester yaoi, a T to M rating. Working on Ch.10.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Yakusoku (promise)

Fandom: Tales of Phantasia

Pairing: Chester/Cless

Genre: Yaoi

Rating: PG13 for now.

Feedback would be great! This is my first Tales fic ever.

* * *

A lone youth stepped into sun from his house in Totus village. As he walked the wind twisted around him baring his scent fresh as spring. His blue hair, the color of bright sky, flowed to his waist in a long graceful ponytail. A breeze crept under his silky tresses tied back lifting them on a mystic air. At the same time, it blew back a few wispy strands revealing his wide forehead, small nose, and smooth angular face sculpted to perfection. His dark narrow eyes gazed out onto the world, harboring deep-seated feelings, never spoken nor acknowledged, even in his waking mind. He focused on daily activities such as archery practice, caring for his sister or hunting with Cless. 

He could hardly wait to meet Cless today, running from his house on the cobblestone path along the stream that ran through Totus, heading to the Alvein fencing school due north. Around it high mortar brick wall enclosed its lovely grounds welcoming visitors inside through its arched brick underpass.

The youth stopped beneath there to catch his breath, shouting, "Cless, hurry up!"

"Coming, Chester!" his friend cried back, from a vaulted window in the school near the main door.

For a moment the door's rusty hinges creaked, then it swung wide open where Cless was framed in its entrance. His crimson cape wavering behind brought out his fine slender form that stood against it. The cape hung from curved metal plates of armor around the shoulders, jointed to a fitted breastplate in front and back of his upper torso. Its silvery-white surface reflected some light giving off a subtle glow.

Chester ran his eye over Cless's armor, admiring its finery. "Reading to hunt today?" he asked.

A wide grin crossed Cless's round face. His large gray eyes peered out from beneath a few brown bangs, excitement sparkling in their depths. "Yeah. Got your bow, Chester?"

"Right here, Cless." Chester's visage dropped down to the compact bow brandished in his right hand and he glanced back at the quiver slung over his back. "Let's go then!"

Today couldn't be a better day. Birds flew overhead from house to house and tree to tree swinging sweet songs, melodies of love to seduce their mates in spring. Not a cloud filled the sky that reached into the vast expanse of heaven. A delicious breeze blew about just good enough to soothe and relax the body.

Chester's keen sight followed the rise and fall of Cless's red bandana, its folds wavering in the wind, as they treaded down the stone path towards the underpass leading outside the school.

"You know, Cless," Chester began casually, when they neared the underpass. "I've been thinking. Is there some rule that Alvein swordsmen have to wear bandanas?"

A hearty laugh escaped Cless and he paused, looking over at Chester. "Not really. I guess the students at the school wear 'em cause my dad and I do. Well, everyone except for Master Tristan."

"Maybe its because…" A grin broke out on Chester's face. "He doesn't look so good with one." As Chester said that he took a step closer to Cless, with his visage bearing down on the young swordsman like the sun in midday, possessing a deep almost meditative expression yearning to know more.

"And I do?" Cless replied playfully. He eyes locked onto Chester's, wanting to fulfill his friend's desire to know him.

The intimacy with which Cless responded startled Chester making him uncomfortable. He tore his gaze away, the action swift and brief in a single turn of his head. He stared at down angry with himself for not understanding the feelings, which surfaced without warning.

"Chester?" Cless frowned in confusion, placing a gloved on Chester's sunken shoulder.

As childhood friends they spent all their time together growing as close as best friends could. They become more like brothers joined by a bond that transcended the physical. If one of them shed tears or laughed the other somehow knew from an inner knowing within. In this moment Cless sensed the turmoil consuming poor Chester.

"I…I'm sorry," he apologized in a soft compassionate tone.

"You'd better be. That wasn't funny, Cless," Chester hissed, throwing off Cless's hand.

The archer stormed off uneventfully through the underpass leaving Cless in disarray. Flustered, Cless sprinted after, heavy boots echoing off the ground.

"Hey Chester! Wait up," Cless yelled, his voice splitting the very air.

Chester halted in his tracks right outside the high mortar wall and his slender body froze.

"What?" Chester shot an angry glare that burned Cless from head to toe licking at every inch of skin, clothing and armor and even underneath.

Cless refused to be hurt by the friend he loved without knowing why. His aching heart pounded through every limb and sinew as he grabbed Chester with the raw strength that wielded a solid iron sword in the heat of battle.

"Why are you acting like this?" Cless whispered over into Chester's ear.

Sized and unable to move, Chester thought. His mind finally slowed from the rapid barrage of thoughts racing without rhyme or reason. "Cless…I…" he hesitated in a tremulous voice, its cadence shaky and low. "I'm a jerk. I shouldn't treat you like this."

"Well…" No more words escaped Cless's warm lips. He blinked, releasing his hold on Chester, questioning him deeply.

"I don't know what's with wrong me." Chester sighed, pulling away. "It might be hard for me to concentrate, so maybe today isn't the day to hunt."

"But we promised Amy and my mom we'd bring something home," Cless insisted, approaching Chester mindfully.

"You're right, let's go anyway," Chester agreed, heaving another sigh. "I'll just have to…" His voice drifted off. "…Concentrate." Then a silence penetrated the space about him cutting off any sense of sound.

Cless broke it by saying his name just above a whisper from the back in his throat trembling. "Chester," sliding a tender arm around his friend. "Just try your best. And don't worry, okay?" he reassured gently, wearing the last vestiges of a smile on his face.

He finally gave in. "Alright." Chester inclined his head giving a long drawn out nod.

The two said no more heading past the Alvein fencing school wall and its surrounding trees. After a few minutes of walking they approached the main stone bridge that spanned Totus's stream. Crystal clear water flowed beneath from its source high in the nearby mountains. The warm spring sun recently melted winter store frozen allowing for the stream's fresh constant flow. Abundant fish filled it, their occasional jump breaking its smooth mirror surface. A couple gazed down at them in the water from the bridge above.

Arm and arm around each other were Jen and Pennington, an engaged couple neighbors spoke frequently of concerning their upcoming marriage. Pennington, the soon to be groom, hurried over to Cless. Chester waited behind a couple of paces from Cless.

"Cless, its you, long time no see!" Pennington cried out in a jovial manner. "Did you know we're getting married?"

"Yes," Cless acknowledged, forcing a pleasant smile after the incident with Chester. "Just don't make me an usher," he added tiredly.

Pennington drew Cless closer, away from Jen and Chester to the railing on the other side of the bridge. "I won't make ya if ya tell me something," he teased, his speaking now hushed. "Have you found a girlfriend yet?"

"Wh-what?" Cless stammered, falling back on one leg about to loose his balance out of utter shock to the question.

"Hey, not so loud," Pennington scowled, grabbing Cless by his wrist. He took a deep breath, his tense expression softened somewhat as did his grip. "I…I apologize. It's just that I'm concerned, Cless. You never seem to spend time with anyone, _besides Chester_."

_Besides Chester,_ the spite in that tone made Cless's countenance stiffen. An uneasy silence settled in over the running water, the rustling of leaves, and chirping of birds threatening to scream. Chester watched Pennington with the fixation reserved for and aimed only at his targets receiving an arrow.

"I understand your concern," Cless replied coolly, going white with apparent anger.

Not confusion, but rage boiled in Chester's blood, an insult to his moral character that defined him as a man. His fingers instantly tightened. Desiring to reach into his quiver. Drawing back an arrow in his bowstring. He swallowed rage subjugated by self-control deep down in his throat attacking within. His jaw clenched, fists tightened, eyelids squeezed shut, the fluids in his ducts forced their way out, and he burst in tears bolting off.

"DAMMIT, Chester! Not again!" Cless raced after him like no tomorrow.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Chester stormed outside Totus without catching a single breath. The village lay huddled between snowcapped mountains, opening up to a pass in the south. He traveled there on a road that cut through grassy fields, ignoring the gasps of his air-starved lungs running even harder. Muscles burned, pain wracked every mortal fiber, crying out against imminent collapse.

Pain turned to numbness coursing through his entirety. Joints locked and froze. He fell with a thud still posed as when he ran. Tawny dust flew up carried off by the wind, blowing over the grass on both sides of the road in a sea of undulating green. From a bird's eye view in the clouds above, this giant sea swallowed Chester's motionless form.

He heard the grass rustle, its song a gentle rhythm, its aroma fresh and sweet. His senses savored the sound and smell, yet the core of his will resisted, with his mind consumed in thought.

_It started this morning about that talk with the bandanas_, Chester reflected silently, hearkening back to before. _Cless said he looked good in one, got close, and stared at me real weird. He was serious and it scared me. Then I got mad, hurt his feelings then apologized._

At this sudden realization, a frown broke out over Chester's handsome features, wrinkling the skin between his brows, reminiscing again. _But I don't understand why he acted that way. Did he want to? Or did I encourage him? If I did, I didn't mean to, because I'm so confused, and_…_I don't know_…_how I feel_.

As Chester pondered deeply, the sun beat down hard from its zenith in the sky. Under its heat a sweat bead formed on Chester's face, trickling down his forehead past a brow into the corner of an eye. He winced from the sting, squeezing his lids shut tight. Behind his closed lids, the suns direct light bore down a bright red in his vision. _If only I found shade, _he cried in desperate silence.

Chester focused his intent commanding his body _move_. Nerves sent the signal through synapses to the muscles in his limbs, exhausted beyond movement. With his mind worn, he realized the depth of exertion spent.

"Dammit!" he hissed, his eyes still shut and body inert. "Why the hell did I run like that?"

The answer in the form of an intuitive knowing replied mentally in his head. _Because of what Pennington said to Cless on the bridge this morning. Although Pennington whispered you knew it hurt your feelings. Humiliated, you fled out of shame. _

"But for what reason?" Chester mused back.

His intuition responded. _Pennington accused Cless of not having a girlfriend because he spent all his time with you. This made Cless quite angry. _

"But why?" Chester questioned, lost in his mind. "Cless and I are just childhood friends. When my parents died, I was alone, and he came into my life. Amy almost lost it and only Cless kept me together. Its thanks to him I could help Amy go on living. And myself too."

_Or so you think that is all_, the inner voice in Chester probed further. _His relationship has affected you deeply, more than you realize, in a connection beyond childhood friendship. What Pennington said hurt your bond with him that you hold deep inside your heart. The pain that surfaced from that is why you really fled, reacting the way you did. _

"What?" As Chester reached this epiphany, his focus faded from the heavy shadow of fatigue, clinging to his exquisite countenance.

From a distance down the road towards Totus, someone's visage fell across his beauty. The gaze grew stronger with each step they neared like a flame licking his very skin. A gaze typified by both anxiety and affection at the same time writhing in its stare. As its presence neared, anxiety settled into relief, knowing Chester was safe. From the aura about the presence, Chester's mind conjured up a dashing knightly figure, clad in silvery-white armor.

Chester heard the flapping of a long cape in the breeze as its fabric billowed out, providing shade from the sun. At last Chester found refuge, now he could listen to the grass rustle and smell its aroma wafting around.

"Cless…" a whisper escaped Chester's coral lips, chiseled into his perfectly pale skin. At the sound of Cless's sweet name, Chester relaxed from head to toe nodding off to sleep, with exhaustion lifted like a world off aching shoulders.

"Chester, you ran this far." Cless knelt by Chester's side extending a gloved hand, brushing a few drenched locks from his sweat-stained forehead. Small sweat beads glistened like dewdrops over his smooth pallid face. Or as diamonds with single points of light dancing in their depths.

A sweat drop rolled between Chester's arched brows down to the bridge of his nose, drawing Cless's attention. He lowered himself on all fours, just above Chester, his mind slipping into a dream. Through half closed eyes, he loomed over, falling further from reality. He plunged far, closing all space, his lips a hair's breath from Chester's. They pressed softly, light as a hummingbird's tongue on nectar, then slowly deeper.

Cless bit lightly, seizing Chester's lower lip in his teeth. From its feel, a heat spread through Cless's body down every limb, toe and finger. Warmth experienced in dreams of Chester no one knew.

For many years, Chester invaded his dreams. Cless thought of it as a result from the changes in his body, maturing from boy to man. Nothing more. After all, he heard it was normal to have strange dreams during this period in life. But for Cless, they persisted. With Chester here, Cless felt one of those dreams come alive, kissing him deeply this very moment.

_I shouldn't be doing this, _Cless cried inwardly, breaking the kiss a minute later. He lifted Chester in his arms, standing up. "I…I'm sorry, Chester, I'll take us to the forest where we'll go hunting when you wake up."

With Chester carried towards the Mystic Forest in Cless's embrace, the sun shined ever brightly. Spilling in through the clouds above, golden shafts showering the land below, the brightest of sunbeams washing over Cless and Chester. For the first time since leaving Totus, a smile crossed Cless's round face.

Further down the road, the narrow pass opened up onto a broad expansive valley, sheltered by steep walls, mountainsides a mile high. Mist clung to mountaintops, where winter snow melted into valley streams below, feeding its crystal clear lake.

At the valley's entrance, Cless stopped breathing in the damp forest air. He took in all of the smells of nature including the fungi in the shade, moss clinging to rocks and trunks, the full canopy above and the rich soil below. Amidst the rich aromas, the forest brimmed with life. Songbirds serenaded in nearby boughs. Butterflies darted to and fro along the forest edge. Hummingbirds buzzed about from flower to flower in the meadows beyond the shade. Bees hummed a low base tone gathered around the flowers.

Cless found a thick tree trunk, with a gently sloping base by the main path, leading into the valley's interior. He laid Chester against it, careful not to wake him. The tree's aura enveloped him, healing his weary body. Its roots gathered what life force remained sending it to Chester.

"Is this okay?" Cless cried, pressing his body to its trunk.

_It's okay…_ the tree's spirit replied in Cless's heart, appearing as a small dryad with bark-like skin and green leafy hair, vanishing as she gave the last of her life to Chester. _You need him because…_ Its energy waned as Chester's strengthened. _You love…him…_

The dryad's last words faded with an echo eluding Cless's awareness. Soon, Chester's breathing deepened, he stirred tossing his head to the side. Through partly opened eyes, a deep soul-swallowing shade of blue, Chester gazed out at the warm face greeting him.

A few gold hair strands hid Cless's blue-gray eyes, radiating a tenderness that glowed in their depths. Softness had spread over his features. His lips curved up in a subtle but faint smile. "Chester, how are you feeling?" Cless inquired, placing a hand on his shoulder.

The blue pendant hanging below Cless's neck on his armor reflected Chester's tired expression. "Alright, I guess," he mumbled. His body curled up, arms wrapped around his knees, head tucked in. "Cless, I'm sorry I…" His voice vanished down his throat

"Don't worry," Cless reassured, sitting back on the ground in front of Chester under the cool soothing shade.

"But…" The casual reply stunned Chester. He shook Cless lightly. "I ran off, passed out, you brought me here…"

"So, we're here, right? Let's go hunting," came his simple, direct answer. Cless helped Chester to his feet.

In Cless's honesty, Chester found solace, nodding in agreement.

They started down the path together into the forested valley. Before leaving, Cless glanced at the tree, which helped Chester. _Thank you_, Cless thought, with a hand on his heart.

As Cless did that, Chester tasted a sweet after flavor lingering on his lips. _Could it be…he…?_ Chester shook his head. _No, it must be my imagination._ He ran a finger over lower lip.

Cless smiled to himself, wondering if Chester would ever know he really kissed him.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Chester caught the last remnants of Cless's smile wondering what happened. _Did something happen? _Chester mused to himself_. I'm sure Cless is just excited about hunting. After all, it's a great day. _

It was Chester, more than the weather that Cless found truly beautiful. His hair fell like sky in soft blue wisps blowing behind him. The diffused sunlight, filtered in through the canopy above was kind on his delicate, white skin glowing subtly. Stolen by such beauty, Cless reached out to stroke Chester's cheek, feeling his silky smooth skin.

Surprise played in Chester's eyes. "Aren't we hunting?" he suggested, holding back a grin.

"Of course!" Cless replied, feeling the blush on his cheeks turn a heavy apple red. It matched his cape, just as bright wavering about him.

_I know he did something bad. Or he wouldn't be red, _Chester laughed to himself, running his sight over Cless's youthful figure.

Taking this as a positive sign Cless smiled inwardly. Fixated on Chester, Cless grinned at him turning away. At the same time he reached for his sword slung in its sheath by his waist.

_It's that look again. But I don't feel nervous cause we're alone now? _Lost in thought, Chester forgot completely about their trip in the forest to hunt.

"Come Chester, let's go," Cless's gentle voice called Chester back to the present. Brandishing his sword in one hand, extending the other to Chester, his smile softened and his blush faded.

Feeling any residual fear melt away, Chester took his hand. A joy not experienced in a long time welled up inside him, expressed in the glow of his face, laughter of his eyes, the play of his smile, the spirit of his movement.

_He hasn't smiled like this since his parents died_, Cless realized suddenly. Seeing Chester come alive like this stirred memories in Cless from their earlier childhood days. It was the time when Chester's parents still lived.

_Chester was a happy then, like any of us in Totus. His father took him hunting. Amy stayed at home helping their mom out. And my Dad ran the fencing school as usual. Those were the good days, _Cless thought to himself.

As Cless recalled the past he and Chester continued deeper into the valley. The air thickened with the rich aromas of the forest. Birds called to each other through the forest branches. Shafts of light pierced whatever openings could be found. Butterflies darted into the light, then shadow vanishing in the dark. It was nature, pure and beautiful in unseen glory hidden from the world.

In the deepening wilderness it became Cless and Chester alone together leaving behind all thoughts of life in Totus. Cless forgot about ushering for Jen and Pennington's marriage. Chester forgot their gossip, questions like "Why haven't you found a girlfriend, Cless? Why do you spend so much time with Chester?" Chester could be himself here in the presence of his friend.

Chester relaxed, taking in the sights and smells around him. Cless focused on the trail in front for any signs of boar tracks. He spotted a slight depression, then a series of clearly defined prints.

"There!" Cless whispered, ready to strike with his blade.

"Finally." Reaching for his quiver, Chester brandished a single arrow, drawing it back his bowstring. His pulling arm tightened against the pressure of the bow. His Fingers clenched the arrow shaft trembling, waiting for a needed release. "I see it," came a whisper under Chester's breath.

"It's mine," cried Cless, charging forward. The lone boar on the path ahead froze then fled into some underbrush.

The flash of red from Cless's cape blinded Chester making him loose his aim. "Dammit, Cless! I missed cause of you." Chester's anger stabbed Cless like a blade through the heart.

Cless stiffened dropping his sword. "Listen, Chester. I didn't mean to…"

"It's your fault, all of it," Chester spat at him, slapping him hard across the face. As Chester moved at him, his bow hit the ground, his quiver slipped off, dangling by its strap in the crook of his arm. He stood there motionless, his breath rising and falling rapidly.

Looking away Cless remained still, rooted to the spot where Chester slapped him. Even the birds fell quiet. Light stopped dancing through the canopy above. Leaves ceased to rustle for the wind died down. Chester's vision narrowed in on Cless's reddened cheek. Slowly, Cless's head turned. His large gray eyes, clear deep pools stared out at Chester, peering out from under tawny bangs and the red bandana across his forehead. He didn't even wince.

"It's also cause of you Pennington thinks I'm strange!" Chester's gaze intensified. "No, it's the damn whole village."

"Chester…" His name escaped Cless's pursed lips. Cless couldn't find words to express the emotions within, weighing heavily on his face.

"I…I hurt you again, Cless." Struck by the emotion, regret tinged Chester's voice.

"No, I hurt you." Slumping over, Cless's head sank between his shoulders, clad in silver-white armor he once held high earlier that day. His gaze fell too as did his proud young spirit.

"What?" Something in Chester knew Cless had kissed him when he had passed out, for he tasted again a sweetness still lingering on his lips. _He really did it, didn't he?_

"After I found you on the road Chester, I…" Cless couldn't bring himself to say it.

"Tell me!" Fear mounted in the pit of Chester's stomach churning it inside out.

"This." Breaking free of any previous restraints Cless closed in on Chester. He grasped Chester's cheeks in his palms pulling him close. Time and space melted between them as Cless inclined his head kissing Chester deeply.

_Oh, god! _Chester cried within, going limp under Cless's deepening kiss.

Even if you hate me, I won't let go. I'm sorry. Cless thought in his heart. Before this as time passed had Cless found it hard, if not impossible to control his feelings for Chester. It started 5 years ago at 12 when adolescence first started. He found it strange that he dreamed about guys, specifically Chester, but figured it would pass. Instead Cless found that the dreams came from feelings inside his heart, a tenderness no one could know because maybe the world might think it was wrong.

Cless couldn't help himself. He always knew how he felt. When Chester's parents died, it drove Chester closer to him, intensifying his already passionate feelings. The hours Chester spent crying in Cless's arms, asking, "Why are my parents dead? I miss them, it hurts here, my heart," grew on Cless shaping his relationship with Chester. All Cless could do then was hug him, even place a hand over his heart when Chester was in pain. Even now all Cless could offer was his sympathetic touch.

Tears, not anger welled in Chester's eyes. "Why Cless?" he managed to say in a pain choked voice after he broke their kiss.

"Why?" It's the same question as always, Chester. Cless reflected silently. His strong arms grabbed Chester still holding him tightly. I wish I knew.

As Chester settled down he rested against Cless's broad breastplate. It was the same chest he found support in after his parent's deaths, the same heart that beat inside and cared. Chester felt it even under the hard protective metal.

"No one else will know, alright?" Lifting a gloved hand to Chester's face, Cless stroked it, his touch as sweet as his smile that it melted all doubt.

"Yeah," was all Chester said, his tone low and soft. Sinking further in Cless's grasp, Chester glanced at his cheek still slightly red. "No one else will know."

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The breeze blew softly through Cless's honey brown hair. Delicate caresses ran through every lock drawing in Chester's keen eye. As a master archer Chester caught all details like the age of a bird judging by its flight. Older ones flew slowly in a controlled steady line. Younger ones darted quickly erratic in their pattern. Cless moved on the path ahead steadily, not slow or fast, but focused in a casual walk. He carried himself that way from training hour upon hour in fencing. Again Chester recalled rich details.

Yesterday before hunting Chester waited outside the fencing school as usual. Other students dispersed after practice. In the morning light Chester peered into the hall. He heard the sound of breathing, a heavy panting from the rise and fall of one's chest, Cless's. Chester's sight left the wooden floor wandering into Cless's faint shadow and over his naked feet. Cless wore the black bodysuit, usually under his armor revealing his physique.

Contemplating the smooth planes of Cless's chest, the musculature of his limbs, all beneath that fabric, he yearned deeply for Cless. A fire in his blood had drawn his senses inward to the core of his manliness consuming all logic.

In the present Cless noticed his daydreaming. _Maybe he's thinking about me the same way I think of him. Every night I'd wish he were there. Not just in heart, but body too, pretending his touch was mine as I quelled my own passions. _

As he pondered Cless raised an empty palm up. Any vestiges of his faint smile vanished like dew in the morning sun. _Yet it in the end I fell asleep…and alone. _

After so many nights Cless could no longer bear the emptiness. That was why he had to show Chester how he felt through that kiss on the road. When their lips met the emptiness from those nights became joy. Although it brought joy to Cless he realized he hurt Chester once they arrived in the Mystic forest.

_Cless knows how he turned me on. _Shaking his head, Chester strode forward with his bow poised in front and an arrow from his quiver. "Let's keep hunting," he said plainly.

"Alright," Cless replied, quieted by the distance Chester planted between them.

While they continued in the forest Chester occasionally glanced at Cless to see if he changed. Cless remained calm allowing Chester a few paces in front.

_Even if I'm an ass, he's still nice,_ Chester thought inwardly. _Always been that way._

_I love him always have, _a voice echoed within Cless's heart. The dryad's presence from before awakened in Cless a new awareness of his feelings for Chester. Cless never knew the source of his dreams nor where they dwelt. In his feelings for Chester, Cless also discovered a deeper part of himself although he couldn't understand.

Lost in thought they arrived at a crystal clear lake nestled deep in the mystic valley. Its verdant slopes rolled down gently to the water's edge where dragonflies danced and tadpoles darted. Further out the lake's smooth mirror surface reflecting a perfect image of the valley's snow capped peaks above. The beauty brought tears to Cless's eyes seeing the same shade of blue, the color of sky reflected off the water in Chester's own eyes.

Drowning in their depths, Cless reached for him.

"H-hey!" Surprise broke over Chester's handsome features. He stumbled back on the shore dropping his bow. "Aren't we resting, Cless?"

"Resting?" Cless murmured dreamily. His lids closed halfway over his stormy gray eyes. His movement slowed entirely as if time and space constrained him.

Chester felt his heartbeat pound in his entire body drawing together all senses. "Cless..." he cried meekly, hearing Cless's name caught in his throat. "I..."

Cless's strong hands, solid from years of fencing, seized Chester gently laying him down beneath. His lips descended on Chester's silencing any protest.

"Chester, I love you..." Cless whispered softly in Chester's pale ear.

The depth of emotion bared in Cless's soul made any resistance in Chester melt like ice on molten fire. Blood rushing through his limbs, torso and head went still. His mouth gaped open gasping for air finding all speech abandoned him.

_If I refuse him I'll hurt him. _Chester's conscious churned within. _But I'm afraid too, of how badly I want him. Is this right? He's been childhood friend. To be romantic with him is like falling in love with my own blood brother? What should I do? _

Squeezing his eyes shut, Chester's head fell to the side out of frustration. Muscle by muscle his body turned limp from exhaustion. His mind drifted to the sweet aroma of grass just under his nose and its texture beneath his cheek. Fresh earth too mingled into the smell relaxing his full inner self. Chester found himself drawn into stillness, a place where neither time nor space existed, only the present moment in oneness.

Moments that Chester could not tell were dream or reality gradually passed, his mind slipping into a semi-conscious state. Previous worries rippled out and away over the surface of his conscious. Soon it became clear like the lake's mirror surface. But unlike the scenery reflected off if, a perfect image of Cless came in Chester's mind, clear yet broken like sunlight dancing on water.

_Why am I thinking about him?_ Chester mused. _I forgot._ _Is still he on me? _

"Chester?" Cless called out softly an inch from his ear, lowering his weight down on Chester slowly.

The warmth of flesh from above covered only by a thin layer of cloth pressed into Chester's torso.

_He took his armor off, didn't he?_ Chester realized mentally. _What's up with him?_

"Hey, Cless..." came a rumble from Chester's throat. He propped himself up from behind with his arms.

Cless slid lower from his previous position on Chester's stomach now straddling his friend square in the lap. Both froze immediately feeling the friction between their bodies at the closest, most intimate point of contact. Without even moving a small wave started in each of their bodies coursing throughout. Impassioned, the intimacy of both pressed closer like an affectionate embrace. Tensions mounted to the pick of a pin, not quite bursting when the pair realized their arousals.

Too surprised to move, Cless felt a blush almost as red as his blood boil in his face. "Chester! I-I..." he stammered, at a loss of words, his stormy eyes going wide.

"Haha!" Chester burst out laughing onto his side into sweet damp grass.

"What?" Cless snapped suddenly, tumbling off Chester.

"Your face! Like you've seen a ghost." Chester kicked himself in the ass mentally trying to stifle another laugh. He winked at Cless, pointing a hand. "I can tell. You've never done it..."

"Done what?" Cless went so red Chester swore his very face would burst.

"You know...with a girl," Chester replied coolly, allowing a slight grin to peak.

Cless's mouth simply gaped open and his eyes remained wide.

"I guess I could tell. The way you acted, it was different from..." Chester sat straight up, peering out over the lake, his expression now serious. His voice went hushed. "...Jen and Pennington," he continued. "I saw them the other day, behind the church. They were..."

"I know," Cless replied knowingly, seated next to Chester on his knees. "Making love," he put it politely. He said softly, as if taboo, "I think Jen is pregnant. That's why the wedding, me being an usher."

As Chester spoke, a trembling filled his cadence. "Jen's parents would...kill her."

Cless nodded silently, folding his hands over his knees. "They're nervous, especially Pennington."

"So he takes it out on us." Resentment tinged Chester's tone. Hot-blooded when angry Chester's temper flared easily. Life made him solemn from the death of his parents, forcing him to be like a father to his sister. Loss and responsibility had carved his tender heart hard.

Cless always knew this deeply looking out for his friend more than his own self. He masked any pain, kind in countenance to his beloved. He said little letting action speak for words by laying a hand on Chester's shoulder.

Glancing at Cless he took a deep breath. _Yeah, I should let it go,_ he told himself. _I'm still thinking about them._

"What is it?" Cless asked, aware of Chester contemplating by his low gaze peering out over the lake.

"Behind that church..." Speaking above a whisper Chester trailed off. "Watching them made me..." Sighing, he said flatly, "...jealous."

Cless listened intently inching over to Chester.

"Pennington's got a girl." Chester's head sunk between his shoulders. His sight wandered below. "I tried to have one too. The storekeeper's daughter."

"Did you go," Cless paused, his heart beating hard. "...All the way?"

Silence pierced the very air Chester exhaled. His features stiffened completely. His lips tight with tension and brows angled down knit together, he nodded ever subtly. A whisper crept out. "A week ago. Then after I caught her with..."

"...Another guy," Cless finished. He knew the same old story, the drama of relations.

"I did it cause Pennington started talking. But then she just..." In a pain choked expression, Chester uttered, "...used me." Tears brimmed in his beautiful blue eyes.

"Go ahead, cry," Cless reassured. His gentle tone stayed the same. _You're my best friend, I love you so much, Chester. _

With a meek nod Chester buried his face into Cless's strong chest, this time feeling his heartbeat, without the armor between them.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Thank you for your reviews! This chapter is rated R for citrus, two guys together who cuddle/kiss/touch, which is yaoi, two boys in love. Ideas/criticism/suggestions are great, cause I'm still new to the ToP fandom. No flames please, I know Ch.3 had some bad OCC. Hopefully, its fixed in ch.4 and 5 here.

Chapter 5

It wasn't tears that really came, but the relief of confiding in his best friend's arms. When Chester's parents died, Cless was there. When the world hurt him, Cless was there. When his heart broke, Cless was there.

"How did it…start?" Cless asked softly, releasing him from his grasp.

Reaching over by the lakeshore to brandish his bow and quiver Chester stopped. "With the…girl?" he questioned.

Cless nodded.

"Like this." Placing his hunting gear to the side, Chester leaned over the water, gazing at his reflection. "Went out to hunt. Saw some birds scatter behind the church. Thought maybe a boar scared them. So I went to look and …"

"Jen and Pennington were…" Cless continued, kneeling beside him.

"…There." Chester's voice came a breadth above the birds singing and fish splashing. Eyes half shut, his vision wandered rapidly, betraying an inner tension. "Maybe he caught me…watching, got mad, starting talking. Didn't want him to think I was…"

Gay. So you met the girl and did it, Cless reflected silently. Shifting behind Chester, Cless embraced him tightly. "It's alright," he murmured gently.

Pulled back, Chester sunk deep into Cless's thighs. "But…"

"Enough." Trying to silence him, Cless felt Chester fall further back.

His head tilted up against Cless's shoulder. Inclining forward, Cless's cheek brushed the Chester's. At the touch of Chester's skin, smooth as porcelain, soft as velvet, a shiver shot up his spine.

His senses now afire, Cless could hardly think. All you wanted was acceptance. All you got was hurt. But it's okay now. You're here, safe with me, Chester.

"Cless…" Lids half closed, dreams drifted in Chester's eyes.

"It's okay," Cless whispered fervently. Leaning over Chester, his face loomed a hair's breadth above his.

The out breath Cless exhaled, Chester inhaled, breathing in fully. Cless's life force in that breath filled Chester's lungs, permeating his blood carried to every cell of his being. Pain from heartache lifted, dissolved by the life force within, Cless's deepest love.

"No one else will hurt you," Cless said firmly, his conviction mirrored in emotion Chester's pools reflected back.

Trust him…that inner voice uttered in Chester's conscious, the same one that spoke to him on the road outside Totus. But I've been burned…

"Chester, I promise." The strength of Cless's words was absorbed in Chester's heart.

All right, Cless, I'll try. He hesitated. I mean, I will.

Swallowing all doubt, he titled his chin up feeling his lips consume Cless's. Melting into Chester, Cless's arms slid under. Encircled tightly, Chester squeezed back, his hands tangled in Cless's honey colored hair. Thick clumps gathered between his fingers, as he yanked off Cless's bandana.

Surprised, Cless grinned lunging down.

Grinning back, Chester pushed hard. Coiled like a spring his arms hurled up. In a flash Cless flew off. Like a predator on pray Chester pinned him below. "Got ya." Mischief played in his voice.

"Think so?" Ensnared beneath, Cless lay boldly, arms above his head, chin thrown back to expose his pale neck.

The sight made Chester's most intimate self ache where his thighs straddled Cless's. A low rumble reverberated in the back of his throat, guttural as he spoke, "Cless, I can't take it."

"Me too," Cless uttered, his breath raspy, heavy like Chester's for he felt is own ache throbbing under his friend's. His hands stretched out, Cless tenderly brushed Chester's flushed cheeks.

Bending over, Chester trailed sweet kisses along Cless's jaw line from ear to ear, nibbling on each lobe. Cless gasped at the sensation of teeth and lips grazing, grabbing Chester's hair. His fingers sank far into fine blue strands. Weaving deeper, a few tuffs tumbled free, then entire locks cascading over his shoulders. The white scarf tying back hair came undone in the wind. Twisting around, it lifted his hair to the sky.

Sky and hair blending from Cless's visage below, Chester form seemed to merge with it above. Transformed into a spirit of the sky, Chester lost Cless in a dream. Enchanted and ardent at once, Cless reached up, face buried in Chester's neck. Wanting to feel his skin on Cless's, Chester tugged hard on his shirt collar.

Draping below his neck, Cless glimpsed of his friend's bare chest. Catching Cless's reaction, Chester clasped his wrists. Cless blinked, watching as Chester tugged each glove off his hands, then his own. To his surprise, Chester's bare hands guided Cless's to his waist. Their naked tips slid under the Chester's belt and up. Roaming free his touch absorbed the silky texture of skin and tautness of firm muscle.

He's gotten so strong, Cless gasped, admiring Chester's body, just as his own reacted in time, his desire firming even more.

"I'll help you," Chester whispered breathlessly, his face aglow with ardor.

His breathing rapid, heart pounding, Chester ripped off his tunic strewn aside. Positioned above his elbows, his wrists pushed up, lifting off his undershirt inch by tantalizing inch.

Oh god, Cless swore, feeling his arousal's full intensity. He's gorgeous…

Without a logical thought, his sight burned a path up Chester's stomach and pectorals, followed by his fingers, their brush so light Chester's body tingled. Bent over Cless, he slipped off the upper half of his bodysuit above his head in one swift motion. Cless gasped, back arched slightly from Chester baring down. Chester kissed him slowly, deeply, the flesh of his lips melding into Cless with each kiss he gave.

The lovemaking I always wanted, not got, I give you… Chester thought, letting his teeth graze along each nub, then kissing, feeling them go firm.

Maybe it is friendship? He mused, his kisses dancing down Cless's stomach.

Or brotherhood? Running a hand below, he cupped Cless's intimate desire. Or love?

Please Chester, don't look at me, not there… In the throes of passion, Cless hated this sudden discomfort. Feeling vulnerable, he shut his eyes, wanting to cry. It shouldn't be… like this.

Instead, a strong arm suddenly swept under, lifting him off his back. He found himself on Chester's lap, his face nuzzled to his warm muscular chest. Crooning his head over Cless, their eyes locked instantly into each other's very souls. Aware of Chester's free hand maneuvering down, Cless's focus remained within his friend's captive gaze. The tingle of the touch on Cless's stomach seemed to pass, then returned in a wave flowing below.

Lids falling half closed, Chester's eyes softened a gentle blue melting any fear. He felt a protective hand, its grasp warm and strong around the pulse of his flesh not from his heart, but most intimate physical self.

"Chester…" Cless averted his visage.

"Cless, look at me," Chester said softly.

Just as Cless did that calmness washed over. Lowering his supportive arm, Chester lay him back down. Taking Cless's hand, he guided it above his own impending desire. Eyes almost closed, he quietly removed any last restraints, pants down to their knees. Embracing the other's intimacy, they showed how they felt through touch.

With each wave sweeping through, Cless sank further within, in both pleasure and emotion. Thoughts expressed in dreams suddenly came to mind. He didn't know why, only that their closeness brought it out. "Chester…"

He heard Chester's breath rise and fall from its core. "Yea?"

"Do you…" Hesitation, as pressure mounted within. "…Love me?"

A pause came. Waves brought them closer, cascading toward each other. As the final swell rolled over, its crest rising higher and higher, their eyes met in eternity. Cless's stormy pools, the soft gray of a distant ocean, melded into Chester's, the clear cloudless sky. As the sky and ocean collapsed, in the primeval merging of their oneness, Chester whispered, "Yes, Cless, I love you," in his ear.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Ch.6

The setting sun cast gold tones over their bodies twined together. Transformed into art, the light gave flesh an illusory beauty one wished might last forever. But only in dreams does beauty last so think this story a dream. A dream that's real when you read it, or real forever should you choose to believe it.

At first Cless never believed his own dream could come true. Whenever he awoke the image of Chester he held vanished in thin air. He asked himself, _Chester, are you really there? And if you were, would you feel? Turned off cause I'm a guy. _

_It's not your fault you fell in love with him. It's mine, your true self, _his heart seemed to say._ If the heart is the true self, then how can it really lie? _

_I dunno, the world says its wrong,_ Cless answered back unconsciously in his dream. _That is_, _liking another guy. _

_Even if the love is true from one's very heart core?_ Cless's heart replied.

Cless's subconscious drifted finding no logical answer.

_You know your own true feelings, so follow and believe them, for when you do what you thought was a dream is real,_ came the last esoteric reply. When Cless believed his feelings for Chester were real that's when his heart came alive.

"Was it a dream?" Cless murmured, awakening beside Chester.

"What dream? Ya just woke up." The last vestiges of Chester's grin softened in the light, a fiery yellow that flooded the land from the snowcapped mountains to the lakes mirror surface. As he sat up the light washed his form in gold. Glowing yellow, his hand reached out to Cless.

Cless took it rising to his feet.

Glancing at Cless, some playfulness crept through his face. "Then passed out right after, but not before…" He couldn't help stealing a quick glance down at his chest. "…Ya gotme."

Realizing what happened when that final wave crashed, Cless snatched his red bandana strewn near the shore.

"Don' ruin that, baka," Chester muttered, lagging over. "Besides, I got ya too."

"Oh, right," Cless chuckled, placing a hand over his heart. The warmth of his friend's essence pressed into his palm with a life force of its own. Retreating inward, Cless felt a depth beyond mere words.

Chester experienced too, hand over his heart, feeling Cless's essence in his own raised palm. No words, just a sense of knowingness in the air they breathed and shared. One's exhale became another's inhale as their hands moved in space. Coming closer, all separation vanished when their fingers intertwined and hands finally joined. The seed of each, melded together pressed between their palms. On a visceral and spiritual level this symbolized the merging of hearts as one.

Back in Totus at home, Chester's younger sister Amy wondered how her beloved brother fared. The same golden light that bathed Cless and Chester streamed through the kitchen window, showering on Amy a celestial luminescence. She closed her eyes praying to the Life Tree.

"Martel-sama," she said. "My big brother, my Onii-chan has acted quiet since he met that girl. After hunting with Cless he seemed happier, but still, we don't play like we used too. Please, Martel-sama, help us."

Finishing her prayer, Amy tied an apron over her dress heading out.

After washing off in the lake, Cless and Chester trekked back on the path that cut deep in the Mystic valley. The sun sank lower to a sliver of fire that clung desperately between the snowcapped peaks. As twilight flooded from the east, the moon climbed to her zenith in the sky. Daytime birds flocked in the canopy celebrating her reign with song. The chorus of countless birds rang as one from one end of the valley to another through every glade and treetop.

"Damn, it's loud, Cless," Chester muttered, passing by the section of trail where he and Cless lost a boar previously.

"Wait, Chester, look down," Cless observed, kneeling over. "Fresh boar tracks!"

"Not bad," Chester remarked, crouching beside him. Suddenly, the surrounding birds went silent. A rusting stirred the underbrush. "It's coming, hide!"

Each hunter took their place beside trees on either side of the trail adjacent. Sword unsheathed, arrow slung in its bowstring, both awaited. With lightning fast reflexes Chester unleashed his arrow. Flying madly, its razor sharp tip pierced deeply in the boar's pounding heart. Next, Cless's clean blade bit hard, devouring until its prey collapsed.

Drawing his blade out, Cless ran a cloth over it from tip to hilt as he sheathed in a single fluid motion. Chester did the same to clean his arrow, sliding it back in his quiver.

"Amy will be proud," Chester exclaimed, tying the boar's limbs to a fallen branch he found.

"My parents too," Cless added joyfully. "It's because we were together." Bending down to Chester, Cless placed a hand on his chest. "Here."

_In our hearts, _Chester understood, inclining toward Cless. Lips parting, he kissed Cless lightly.

As twilight cloaked the village Amy hurried to the marketplace. She passed north along the steam and east over the old stone bridge. Jen and Pennginton relaxed there gazing into the water.

Noticing Amy, Pennington looked up. "Isn't that Chester's younger sister?"

"Yes, dear, Amy Barklight," Jen replied, shifting toward the railing.

"I'll be right back, Jen! I need to talk to her," Pennington shouted, running off.

At the market in the southern end of town Amy browsed through various stands. Spotting her close by Pennington stopped catching his breath.

"Hey, Amy-chan," he called out, waving.

"Hi, Pennington-san," Amy greeted, still browsing.

"How are you?" Pennington inquired, strolling up beside her.

"Okay. I'm buying apples for Onii-chan," she exclaimed, holding one up for Pennington.

"I see. Speaking of your brother, that's why I'm here." Pennington's countenance stiffened.

Amy blinked, unsure of what to say as she made her final purchase.

"It's alright if you don't understand, Amy-chan." Pennington sighed, gesturing to Amy to follow. "Besides, how old are you?"

"Eleven," she replied, walking alongside.

"That young. This will be hard." Saying nothing else Pennington remained silent until they found a place to talk outside of the south gate.

Amy sighed, leaning against one of the gateposts. "Is Onii-chan in trouble?"

"Not exactly." Declining to stay it outright, Pennington sunk back on the gatepost across from Amy. "Chester isn't in trouble. He's just not…like the rest of us."

Falling further back Amy sat down. "I don't understand, Pennington-san."

"Amy-chan, I'll say it as best I can." Shaking his head, Pennington glanced toward the open fields and mountains in the distance. "Normal people like the opposite sex. I mean, boys like girls, and girls like boys. But your brother likes another boy. Do you understand?"

Realizing that Pennington attacked her brother Amy stood up. Anger twisted her round sweet face. "No, I don't!" she cried, clenching a fist. "Onii-chan works hard hunting everyday so we can eat!"

Thrust back against the post, Pennington countered, "I didn't mean it like that—"

"I don't care." Straightening her dress, Amy's stared up at him, narrowing her eyes. "Jen-san will have a baby, right?"

Baffled, Pennington scowled at her. "Yes, little girl. Why do you ask?"

"If it was born ugly, would you still love it?" Amy asked thoughtfully, her expression calm, with her vision still fixated.

"Of course, it's my own child," Pennington answered instantly.

"Then, it's the same with Onii-chan and I," Amy declared, tearing her sight away. The depth of emotion brimming in Amy's voice made Pennington go still. "Even if he likes other boys, it doesn't matter because…I love him."

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Major angst warning, hints of future character death, and spoilers for anyone who hasn't played the beginning of the game. This is really where I wanted this ClessChester romance to begin, where Cless blames himself for Chester's suffering and the tragedy of Totus. It seems that in life true love blossoms from bearing life's pain, such as the loss of a loved one.

Chapter 7

White, bright and shinning fair, the first moon to rise, Sylvarant, like a celestial pearl strung up, cast her silvery light on all the land below. Golden, if not fairer, Aselia's second moon, Tethe'alla joined Slyvareant in the night sky. Basking in the gold and silver light Cless and Chester journeyed home.

Illuminated by candlelight, each house in Totus merged together like a flame in the distance as Cless and Chester approached. When they neared closer, the larger flame broke apart into embers, then finally as lights in individual residences.

"Cless, today was great," Chester said, stopping to catch his breath outside Totus.

"Yeah, we got a big one, Chester," Cless replied, silhouetted black against the jeweled sky from his friend's vantage, closer to the village's south gate.

Amy waited there in the dark spying Chester come in.

"Onii-chan!" she cried, jumping out to hug him, caught under the gate.

"Hey Amy!" Her brother rejoiced twirling her in his arms. As he spun her, his blue mane whirled around and a smile widened his lips.

Chester's joy brought a smile to Cless's lips as well. Nearing, he presented the boar carcass swung on his broad armored shoulders. "Look what we caught," he pointed.

Releasing her brother, Amy skipped to Cless. "Wow, that's great! Let's cook it."

That evening everyone gathered to feast at the Alvein's. United with Cless's family the Barklight siblings forgot the hardships of orphan life. Cless's mother Maria joined the gaiety too having recovered from a fever. And Meredith, one of their housemaids engaged in the merriment as well. Everyone ate at the long dinning room table in the kitchen, adjacent to the fencing room.

"So cutie…" Meredith began, seated across from Cless. "Still single, aren't ya?"

Gagging on his food, Cless's face almost hit his plate. Chester laughed, hitting him hard in the back. Amy giggled seated beside Meredith.

Wiping off his face, a rosy shade tinged Cless's round cheeks. "Err…sort of. She's a real hottie too."

_God, you dumbass,_ Chester wanted to yell right beside him.

Burning with embarrassment Cless reddened more under Meradith's steady grin. "I mean cute with long blue hair like Chester…"

_Okay, Cless, can I kill you?_ Chester schemed, grinning wickedly, his features also flushed.

Noticing, Amy teased him. "Onii-chan's in love!" She pointed to Cless. "And I know _who_ it is."

"Amy, shut up!" Chester hissed, slamming his fists on the table.

"Cless, my dear son! Did something wonderful happen?" Miguel called cheerfully from the other end of the table.

"I gotta use the bathroom!" Cless answered, dashing up from the table.

"Me too!" The archer forgot to push in his chair leaving after Cless.

Retreating outside, the swordsman caught his breath, just outside the high brick wall enclosing the Alvein School. Cloaked in the darkness, the lively night roused his senses. The winding stream whispered through the village. The chorusing of crickets echoed. Bullfrogs croaked from one side of the stream bank to the other, with calls repeating back.

"That was close." Cless sighed, wandering down the cobblestone path between his house and Chester's.

"Not quiet." A deep voice penetrated the dark.

Before Cless reacted, strong arms suddenly seized him.

"Chester!" he cried, tackled to the ground.

Straddling him, Chester grinned, pinning him below. "Mine," he uttered possessively.

"No, _mine_," Cless countered, grinning back.

Silencing any protest Chester's mouth met Cless's. Breathing deeply, both melted in sweet embrace.

"Chester, we just…" Cless managed, under his friend's heaving weight.

Gold and silver moonlight danced in Chester's eyes. _What_, they seemed to cry, flooded with strong emotion.

Reaching up, Cless stroked his friend's trembling cheeks. "It won't change what happened." Sympathy brimmed in his voice. "The pain of being used."

Realizing the cause of his drive, Chester swallowed. "That…bitch."

"I shoulda said somethin' to Meredith at dinner." Propping himself up, Cless kissed him softly. "Cause talking about a girlfriend reminded you of yours, that storekeeper's daughter."

Shrugging, Chester gave a bittersweet smile, sinking in Cless's grasp below. "Cless, ya always been too nice, takin' blame for every damn thing."

"But it _is_." His last syllable weakened more. Inside, Cless admitted the truth. _Chester, I love you, I hate seeing you hurt. Since your parents died, you've been all alone, even afraid you'd loose Amy too. If that happened, it'd be my fault too, like all your pain always is. _

_Amy…will die? What's going on?_ Another conscious seemed to enter Cless's psyche, just like the time when the dryad spoke in the forest.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Chester shook him hard.

"_I hear her_…." Lost as if in a waking dream, Cless's voice grew distant, almost disembodied like an omnipresent echo. "_That lady in the forest who spoke asking me to save her…" _

"Geez, not _that_ again." Rolling his eyes, Chester grabbed him, sitting up. "This last month you space out whenever we visit the forest, saying that big tree talks…"

"_I see fire…_" his foreboding voice continued. A terrible vision, a warning from Martel, the goddess of the Life Tree flashed his very mind. Generations of Cless's family had protected the world Aselia in times of danger. Whenever darkness beckoned they heard the goddess's plea. Cless's ancestors saw this as a curse of their bloodline, destined to happen as long as evil existed.

In Cless's vision a dreadful fire razed all of Totus. He saw the face of his father as a man in black armor marched in with troops. _The pendant,_ he demanded. _Give it or die!_ Then he withdrew a blade plunging it through Miguel. _Cless,_ Miguel uttered with his last breath. _I love you. _After that Maria was slain too. Most tragic was the terror on Amy's face as the man's blade cut down. _Onii-chan!_ She cried.

"Mom, Dad, Amy!" Cless screamed in the present, collapsing in Chester's arms.

TBC…


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: It's been a while since I updated, so I hope everything flows together.

* * *

Chapter 8

"Hey Cless, can you hear me?"

Cless heard Chester call out in the darkness. Stirring, Cless opened his eyes finding himself in Chester's house in the second floor on his bed.

"Are you okay?" Chester asked, kneeling over Cless. He slipped his arms around Cless, cradling the swordsman to his chest.

"My head hurts." Cless sniffled, hugging Chester hard. "I saw fire burn everything. My parents, Amy...everyone died. It was so real." Pain choked his voice.

"A nightmare, nothing more," the archer said gently, kissing Cless on the forehead. He ran his fingers through Cless's tangled hair, relishing the feel his thick locks between them.

_Amy...everyone died. _Those dreadful words echoed in Chester's mind. He couldn't imagine life without his sister. She was his reason for living. He swore to their parents he would protect her, even if it cost him his life.

_This last month Cless has acted strange_, Chester mused. _He hears the voice of a tree in the forest. Has he gone crazy? _

Loosening his hold on Cless, Chester sat on his bed beside him. He leaned over, resting the weight of his arms on his knees.

"Cless," he began. "I'm worried."

"Chester...I..." The swordsman sighed at a loss of words, his breath caught in his throat. _Again, Chester, your pain is my fault. If I left, I wouldn't cause you problems, or my family. Yes, I think that's best. _

"Onii-chan, Cless, there you are." Amy appeared in the entrance to the room, delighted at the sight of her brother. "Everyone's waiting."

A smile crossed his tired features, his mind worn and body fatigued from the long day's events. "We'll be there soon, okay?" he said, ruffling her hair, reaching over to hug her. Joy danced in his eyes, his lips widened to a grin. She brought him a happiness no one else could.

The fear sown on Amy's face from the vision flashed through Cless's conscious. He trembled, grasping the clear blue pendant strewn about his neck.

_Cless, no matter what happens, you must never let it fall into the hands of another,_ his father warned, giving it to him on the day of his birthday.

And in that dream a man in black wanted it. Perhaps it's a warning from the lady in the forest? For everyone's sake, Chester, not just yours, I must go. Suddenly, the thought of life without Chester panged him, tore away like a blade in his heart. If I love you Chester, I must do this. Forgive me.

From the moonlight streaming in the windows, Chester's pale porcelain skin almost seemed to glow. His light shimmering hair and sky blue eyes enticed Cless with no beauty no other possessed. Cless longed to be held and loved by that slim muscular body, with all its curves and sinews under Chester's loose fitting clothes.

_He's so beautiful. To leave him hurts_. Cless gazed soulfully at his friend without words.

_What are you thinking of, Cless?_ Chester thought. His slanted, captivating eyes narrowed at Cless, giving him a sense of maturity beyond his years. His bangs falling to the left of his face blew slightly, ruffled by a breeze from the window. It felt cool and damp, heavy like Cless's heart.

A gentle patter tapped on the roof at first, thickening to a downpour in many sheets of rain. Thunder rolled over and lightening struck in a distant field, lighting the entire night sky.

"I'm scared, Onii-chan." Amy shivered, hiding behind her brother from the violent storm outside.

"It'll be okay." He comforted her in hushed tones, wrapping his arms around her. "Because I'm here."

Later that night after everyone fell asleep Cless departed in secret. Donning a simple traveler's cloak, he hiked along the muddy road north to Euclid passing endless meadows that stretched out as far as the eye could see. A lone traveler cut through this sea of grass on a cold forbidding night, wishing to protect those he loved. His boots kicked up mud, his legs ached, his soaked woolen cloak weighed him down. Images of Chester haunted him, his radiant smile as he hugged his beloved sister. Cless couldn't bear to see that moment of perfect happiness destroyed.

Back in Totus Chester tossed and turned. He kicked off his covers and awoke, gripping his hands above his chest. _My heart, it feels so empty. Why?_

He stared silently in the dark. Cless's round face, his large violet eyes peering out with love surfaced in Chester's mind. How he yearned to run his fingers through his honey colored hair, savoring the touch and texture of each strand in his grasp. The memory of Cless, his taste and feel sent a fire surging through Chester. He reached in the empty air.

"Cless..." he uttered. "Where are you?"

Far away outside of Totus dawn broke. A sliver of fiery sun clung to the horizon climbing higher and higher. Soft pinks and yellows spilled from its ascent into the coruscating sky, casting pastel shades off the white houses and walls of Euclid. The scent of fresh greenery after a long spring rain filled the air, which Cless breathed deeply. He relaxed seeing sparrows build nests under the eaves of roofs and feed their young. A new day had begun.

He knocked on the door of a lone house in the northwest area of town where his uncle and aunt lived. Scanning the scenery, a strange unease crept in. Euclid Castle's elite guard was usually about patrolling the streets. His father Miguel used to be their captain until a man named Malice replaced him and opened a fencing school in Totus.

"Welcome, Cless, my nephew, it's been so long," greeted a kind old man, half balding, slumped over in a green coat at the door.

"My, how you've grown up," remarked an elderly gray hair lady beside him.

"Uncle Olsen, Aunt Joan, what happened to Euclid's guard?" asked Cless, handing his drenched cloak to his aunt to dry out.

"About a month ago, their captain Malice went missing. He left in full armor with an entire squad of soldiers. No one knows where he or went, or what happened," Uncle Olsen explained.

_Malice_. The name sent shivers down his spine, chilling him to the bone. Suddenly, he saw a man in black armor with troops attack Totus. _The pendant,_ he demanded. _Give it or die!_ Driven by pure lust, he brandished a blade slaughtering innocent villagers as a fearsome fire razed.

Petrified, Cless gazed blankly at the clear blue pendant hanging on his chest. _Why did father give this to me? Why did I hear that lady in the forest and see this man in black?_

* * *

"Cless, where did you go?" Alone in his room, Chester felt an emptiness consume him from the inside out.

He remembered the sight of Cless's bare body beneath him in the woods, the feel of taut muscle in his chest and stomach as his fingers wandered down, his dreamy gaze as wave after wave of pleasure swept through.

"It's my fault. You weren't ready. That's why you left." _Those I love I hurt._

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Warnings: Lime and swearing.

* * *

"Mr. Alvein, have you seen Cless?" 

In the hot dojo of the Alvein fencing school Miguel heard someone call. Wiping sweat off his brow, he glanced up to see a tall youth running in. His disheveled hair hung in odd strands from his ponytail and loose clothing hung in disarray. He had dressed quickly searching Totus desperately for Cless.

"Why, no, Chester," Miguel replied at length, resting his sword against the wall. "He's usually up practicing at the crack of dawn. Did something happen?"

_Your son and I are together, _Chester thought, never daring to voice it.

"It seems he took a trip somewhere, forgot to tell us," he said casually, wearing a carefree smile. Chester's insides tightened. His mind raced. _I hope he buys this._

"Always forgetful, isn't he?" Miguel laughed heartily. "He's probably at his uncle's house in Euclid. I have to teach today. If you could go there and get him, I'd appreciate it."

"Of course, Mr. Alvein, I'm going to sell some hides from hunting there, so it's not a problem." Nodding, Chester forced a smiled and shook his hand. _Now I can find you, Cless. Wait for me!_

Selling hides was a complete lie, a good way to carry conversation. He never liked to socialize or act polite, but if necessary he could act. A brisk half a day's walk could get him swiftly to Euclid.

"Am I a _burden_ to you?" he asked himself, traveling north to Euclid. "Is it because I'm not strong enough you left?"

Feelings of worthlessness filled him. He contemplated the complexities of their recent relationship. It'd only been a week since their hunt in the woods when Chester confessed his feelings. On top of that, Pennington had harassed Cless by the bridge before they left. He still felt wounded inside from his breakup with the storekeeper's daughter. Worst of all, Cless distanced himself for reasons unknown saying a girl he couldn't see spoke to him in the forest. And visions of dread hung in Cless's sight like gossamer threads spun over.

The world seemed set against him, against them, _their_ love. What if Cless met another, a girl? Meredith, one of the servants in the Alvein household found him quite attractive as did many other girls. With his kind heart and sense of determination Cless never hesitated in helping another, especially a girl.

"No, don't think about it." He shook his head perishing the thought.

_I love you, Chester. It's why I left. Can you forgive me? You were 10 when your parents died. If you lost Amy I couldn't forgive myself. _Reflecting, Cless sat in the kitchen of Uncle Olsen's house in Euclid. He sipped a cup of tea, steam rising gradually from the mug, warming his face. In that dream Amy died because a man in black desired his pendant. An empty shell of greed beneath his armor, life held no meaning. He slaughtered a village, killed innocent people all in his quest for power.

_How could I live, knowing I could be responsible if he lost all he holds dear? _He laid a hand on his chest, clutching the crystalline pendant his father gave, an azure blue the color of Chester's eyes. _Martel, please guide me!_

"Cless, dear, someone's here to see you." An elderly woman prodded him.

"Thanks, Auntie," he answered reluctantly.

His heart sank at the visage of Chester's pain wrought features. His thin brows furrowed, icy eyes narrowed, lips tightened turning down, his skin flushed white with anger. Fists clenched, he stormed outside.

"H-hey!" Cless ran out after him.

Before he knew it, he went flying back with a thud. He hit the wall of the house, back slamming very hard. He wheezed gasping for air. His long cape ripped, his silvery armor dented with a chink lost its once perfect surface. Chester punched him.

"Why?" Cless's lids half closed, he gazed up meekly in defeat.

_I thought you stopped loving me._ Stooped over, heaving, sweat trickled down the archer's chiseled features. Without a word, he hoisted Cless up, his arm hauled around his broad shoulders. Turning his head, his cheek now flushed pink brushed Cless's. His large pools reflected Chester's image: silent and stoic in composure. Stiff as stone, guilt rushed through him.

Chester heaved a sigh of guilt. "…I…"

"I deserved it," Cless said softly, his chin dropping to rest on his breastplate. _You're more than my best friend since childhood. You are my very soul, my heart, existence, breath and depth for being. To hurt you is a crime I can never forgive. _

"I…I love you," he uttered, throwing Chester against the wall. He claimed the archer's mouth, his tongue darting out between lips.

"Dammit, Cless, not here, " he protested, though his body responded under the pressure of Cless's weight, his hips pushing back.

"Cless dear, is everything okay?" Aunt Joan called out from inside.

"S-shit!" Cless froze.

Chester laughed. "You fool, let's get going."

The swordsman bade his aunt and uncle goodbye heading out of Euclid with his partner. His boyish grin made any anger in Chester melt away, like winter ice thawed out in the first morning of a dawning spring. As they walked his honey tinted hair shinned gold, caught under the sun. Tawny flecks of sunlight danced in his irises, midnight black in their center. His sweet round faced longed only for Chester's love.

That night they lay together in the fields outside Euclid. Tall prairie grass reaching the sky hid them from the eyes of prying travelers. The fresh scent of earth filled their nostrils from the soil still damp after rain. Crickets chorused, their sound echoing across the boundless plain. Stars twinkled, littering the sky like a palm full of diamonds scattered freely. Aselia's twin moons, Sylvarant and Tethe'alla, smiled brightly on the young lovers, washing them in streams of silvery light.

Sitting cross-legged, Chester slid off his compact shoulder length bow and untied his quiver, slung over his back. Running Cless's red cape through his fingers, he apologized, "I'm sorry, I ruined it."

"Don't say that." Falling to his knees, Cless reached behind Chester pulling out the scarf that tied his hair. His silky blue tresses tumbled free over Cless's hands, tangled as they roamed, relishing the feel of Chester's hair between the valleys of his fingers. The archer's glazed eyes fluttered shut, his peach-hued lips parted, and muscular frame sank under Cless's sensitive touch.

"Mmm, that feels good." He leaned on Cless, his head angled far back, moaning softly.

Crooning forward, Cless bent over with a kiss. He nibbled on Chester's earlobe, blew softly inside whispering, "I should be sorry I ran away."

He quivered from Cless's teeth and the breath of hot air that hit.

"I was afraid I hurt you." Cless kissed his exposed neck, pale because of the collared undershirt that normally covered.

"Only if you leave me." Jaw tilted up, he returned the kiss, biting lightly on Cless's lower lip.

"I won't," the swordsman promised, shivering as his friend trail deep kisses along his jaw behind to the nape of his neck.

Chester's nimble fingers, adept stringing a bow, grabbed onto Cless's breast and shoulder plates, working his troublesome armor up and off with ease. Seeing him clad in his black body suit, Chester appreciated the subtle contours of Cless's physique and the muscle beneath. His fingertips hooked into the neckline of Cless's clothes, tugged it down inch by inch, revealing the smooth planes of his chest and stomach. Lightly muscled yet trim, Chester soaked in the swordsman's build and beauty.

His arousal evident, Cless blushed under Chester's direct gaze. "Please, Chester, do something," he whispered.

The archer knew exactly what Cless meant. "Are…are you sure?" he hesitated, unsure.

Cless chuckled. "If I didn't ask, I wouldn't want it."

"Alright." Chester freed Cless's body from the last of its restraints, giving Cless the physical love he sought.

Cless pulled him close, his hands lost in his Chester's hair, his notes of love filling the air. A low whimper escaped him when his final release came. He lay on the ground sprawled out, breathing. He smiled tiredly, kissing Chester gently. "I'll always love you."

"No matter what?" Chester searched Cless desperately, remembering the vision that tortured him, of Totus ablaze and their loved one's dying from the armored man's greed.

"I promise," the swordsman reassured, holding him tight. "Do you?"

Chester nodded, nuzzling his face in the crook of Cless's warm neck. He thought, _Even if something happened to our village, if your visions were true, I couldn't stop loving you._

One star shinned twinkled bright in the sky above the rest, their star of love, an eternal sign of their bond not even tragedy might sever.

TBC


End file.
